Tag: photo

CategoriesTell Me Thursday

Tell Me Thursday: Firmenich Family

Posted on 6 August 2009by Brian Zalewski

Thanks to the power of the Internet, I came into possession of this digital photo. I saw via Ancestry.com’s new “Member Connect” feature that another user was researching my 3rd-great-grandparents, Mathias & Paulina Firmenich. I contacted her and we traded information and then she sent me this awesome photo.

As far as I know, my grandmother doesn’t have a photo of Pauline or of the rest of the Firmenich family. That would make this photo the first time I’ve seen Pauline. She had died early on, in 1910, so I assumed there were no good photos of her. I guess I was wrong.

I am told the photo looks to be taken in 1895, probably in Ashland, Wisconsin where the family lived. I’m guessing on the names of the rest of the family here, but using the family list as it looks to be (using the youngest children.) The males in the back are probably Frank and Henry, but I can’t tell which one is older. I assume the two older women in the back are Emma Jane (my gg-grandmother) and Mary. The girl in the middle looks to be the oldest of the younger girls, so I assume it’s Rose. Then from left to right it looks to be Ida, Edna, and Clara. Edna would be the one that looks really bored in the middle. The nice lady who gave me this photo descends from Edna.

The only one missing would be the oldest, Albert. Four of Mathias and Pauline’s children, Hattie, Edmond, Sarah, and Anna, died in 1885 due to an outbreak of what looks to be Diptheria.

So, the moral here (I look to be on a moral kick recently) is to connect and contact everybody that you can that may be researching a common ancestor. You never now what you’ll find. *Cue Forrest Gump and his chocolates*

CategoriesTombstone Tuesday

Tombstone Tuesday: Zalewski 1959

Posted on 21 July 2009by Brian Zalewski

This is a headstone photo I found in my grandmother’s photo album. It’s the headstone from my great-grandmother, Emily (TROKA) ZALEWSKI in 1959 at Holy Cross Cemetery in Milwaukee. It’s unique because this current headstone no longer exists. My great-grandfather, Joseph ZALEWSKI, remarried later on and his new wife is now buried in that plot also. A new, flatter headstone is now in it’s place.

1959

CategoriesTell Me Thursday

Tell Me Thursday: Uncle One-Arm

Posted on 16 July 2009by Brian Zalewski
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This is a photo of Jacob HUIZEL (middle) and two unknown women. Jacob is my wife’s great-great uncle. The reason for the “One-Arm” title is that we found an earlier photo of Jacob and on the back it just said “Uncle Jake” and under it was written “(one arm)”. There are a few photos like this one, but it’s always hard to tell if he does only have one arm. If I would take a guess, it would be his right arm since you can see his left one. Family mysteries, huh?

CategoriesTombstone Tuesday

Tombstone Tuesday: Forest Home

Posted on 14 July 2009by Brian Zalewski

Here is another generic cemetery image. I took this one a few years back on my first trip to Forest Home Cemetery in Milwaukee. It is probably one of the most interesting and beautiful cemeteries I’ve seen yet. This one came out nice in the fall. I wish I could find my originals. These copies aren’t of very good quality.

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I did a basic post on Forest Home Cemetery as my first post of the Graveyard Rabbit of Southeastern Wisconsin site.

CategoriesTombstone Tuesday

Tombstone Tuesday: Maria BRAATZ

Posted on 7 July 2009by Brian Zalewski

I have a new headstone for today. Thanks to Steph F at Find-a-Grave, I now have a photo of the headstone of my 3rd-great-grandmother, Maria BRAATZ. I had run across the info from a transcription of a few cemeteries in Waupaca County, Wisconsin. She is buried at Little Wolf Cemetery in Manawa, Waupaca Co., Wisconsin. In the trascription, she was listed as “Maria frau von Wm” which roughly translates to “Maria, wife of William.” Maria’s husband is Wilhelm BRAATZ. There is no record of his burial, but it is assumed he’s buried nearby even if there is no stone. We’ll be checking into that to make sure.

Maria Braatz

[ Find-a-Grave Link ]

CategoriesCemeteriesTombstone Tuesday

Tombstone Tuesday: St. Mary’s

Posted on 30 June 2009by Brian Zalewski

This week brings another random cemetery shot. For every photo of an actual headstone from my family tree, I have dozens of generic cemetery photos.

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This photo is from St. Mary’s Cemetery in Port Washington, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin. [Find-a-Grave link] My great-grandparents Leon & Mildren (Van Price) DEBROUX are buried here along with some of their other family. It’s situated in some trees and on a hill facing west. When you come into Port Washington on Interstate 43, you can see the hill in the distance.

CategoriesWeekly History

Weekly History: June 28th-July 4th

Posted on 28 June 2009by Brian Zalewski

Augusta (Luedtke) Last

June 29th

1725 – Died – Louis QUINET – Louis is my 9th-great-grandfather on my father’s side. He was born about 1635, probably somewhere in France. He married Marguerite BROSSIER and had four children. He passed away in Contréglise, Haute-Saône, France.

June 30th

1675 – Died – Louis DEGUITRE – Louis is my 9th-great-grandfather on my mother’s side. He was born 26 Jan 1647 in Cogne, Aunis, France. In 1665, he married Renee DESEINE.

July 2nd

1892 – Born – Edna G FIRMENICH – Edna is my 3rd-great-aunt on my father’s side. She was born in Ashland, Ashland Co., Wisconsin to Mathias & Pauline FIRMENICH. She passed away on 11 Feb 1981 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

July 3rd

1705 – Married – Louis CHEVREFILS-BELISLE & Genevieve PAILLARD – Louis and Genevieve are my 8th-great-grandparents on my mother’s side. They were married in Montreal, Ile de Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

1743 – Born – Anne Modeste ROBICHAUD – Anne is my 6th-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born in Port Royal, Arcadia, Nova Scotia, Canada. In 1768 she married Jacques Joseph GRIGNAC.

1863 – Born – Augusta Johanna LUEDTKE – Augusta is my great-great-grandmother on my mother’s side. She was born at Storkow, Pommerania (which, according to some basic research, I think this is now located in western Poland and named “Storkowo.”) She lived to be over 100 years old and passed away on 14 Jul 1963 in Grafton, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin.

July 4th

Happy Independence Day!

1836 – Born – Friedericke C HENKE – Friedericke is my 3rd-great-grandmother on mother’s side. She was born in Germany. She married Herman RATHKE and had 3 children. She passed away in 1908 and is buried at Union Cemetery in Port Washington, Ozaukee Co., Wisconsin.

CategoriesTell Me Thursday

Tell Me Thursday: Corrigan

Posted on 25 June 2009by Brian Zalewski

Wordless WednesdayThis photo is of three of the Corrigan sons of Thomas & Emma Jane Corrigan. Maurice (my great-grandfather), Edwin, and Hank. Maurice passed away in 1990 at the age of 91. Hank passed away in 1986 at the age of 79. Edwin was the Corrigan that lived the longest out of all 9 children. I met him a few times at family reunions. He passed away only a few years ago in 2005 at the age of 95.